BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Atlanta, GA, October 19, 2020: “Why wear a mask? Because I said so,” was mom Shaun S’s stern, motherly advice for kids and her quote for #ListenToGwinnettMoms, a public health education campaign launched by Gwinnett County in the week of October 6, 2020. The unique campaign aims to inspire the local community to continue doing its part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by listening to the experts who have known best all along: their moms.
“Mother knows best”, goes the saying. Encapsulating the essence of the that saying, #ListenToGwinnettMoms campaign features actual moms from across Gwinnett, highlighting the simple, but proven ways residents can help keep each other safe through the “momisms”. Through the campaign, Gwinnett County Government positions local moms as the experts on health and safety, creating a more familiar and humanized take on an otherwise daunting issue.
Why moms? “We want to empower our community to recognize the significance these small acts play in protecting our collective health and can think of no better spokespeople for this message than our very own Gwinnett moms, who care the most,” said Charlotte Nash, Chairman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and a mom herself. Nash stressed upon the need for clarity of information, especially when people are being inundated with the overload of information through news outlets and social media. “It’s an important moment for us to come together to provide much-needed clarity and create a sense of community through this countywide.”
The campaign is highly reflective of its diverse population. One of Georgia’s most diverse counties, with immigrants representing 25% of the population and more than 120 languages spoken, moms featured in the campaign are representative of the community and vary in age, race and background, like the nearly 1 million individuals who make up the fabric of Gwinnett.
“These are the kinds of safety tips we grew up hearing at home, and now as our community continues to work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we know that our moms really do know best. The potential impact for a public health education campaign like this one is tremendous. We look forward to seeing how our community can continue to rise to the challenge of fighting COVID-19 as we look out for each other by embracing and using these safety tips,” said District 4 Commissioner and mom, Marlene Fosque.
Underlining the fact that the pandemic is not yet over, Commissioner Fosque stressed the need to stay diligent for schools to be open, and the economy to be strong. “Through this campaign, Gwinnett County Government aims to deliver the COVID-19 prevention messages we’ve all been hearing for the past several months in new and interesting ways, ultimately grabbing the community’s attention and inspiring everyone to continue doing their part to prevent the spread.”
Do the moms in the campaign offer advice only from their perspective? The campaign directly follows official COVID-19 guidance from the Gwinnett County Health Department, the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC, and encourage the community to continue doing the same, says Commissioner Fosque. “The real Gwinnett moms featured in this campaign are simply reinforcing these official recommendations, but also doing so with a mother’s signature sass and authority. We’re not reinventing the wheel, but trying to instead put a fresh, relatable and attention-grabbing spin on it.” Some quotes featured in the campaign include “momisms” such as, “And for the millionth time, wash your hands!”, “Keep your hands and your germs to yourself.”
If you are a Gwinnett mom or simply have some motherly COVID-19 safety tips to share, the campaign invites you to join the conversation at #ListenToGwinnettMoms and on Gwinnett County’s social channels at @GwinnettGov.